This invention relates to a process for treating hydrocarbon-based materials, such as petroleum and petroleum fractions. More particularly, the invention relates to processes wherein one or more components of such materials are oxidized and/or otherwise chemically modified.
Petroleum and petroleum fractions are important fuels, and large amounts are burned. One of the principal drawbacks of the use of these materials as fuel is that many such materials contain amounts of sulfur and other components which generate unacceptable amounts of pollutants, e.g., sulfur oxides, on burning.
It would be clearly be advantageous to provide a process to desulfurize such fuels and/or otherwise treat such fuels to reduce the above-noted pollution concerns. For example, other than desulfurization, petroleum and petroleum fractions may be cracked to lower boiling components which are often more effectively combusted and result in reduced emission of potential pollutants. Also, petroleum and petroleum fractions may be demetallized and/or otherwise treated so that the resulting material is more amenable to being economically processed, e.g., upgraded to higher quality products.